It is known from the prior art to provide blocking beams of barriers such as, for example, blocking beams of parking barriers with luminous LEDs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,461 B1 describes a blocking beam of a barrier, on which LEDs that can be illuminated in red and green are mounted in order to indicate the open position and the blocking position of the barrier.
Furthermore, EP 2 105 534 A2 describes a barrier with a blocking beam that is mounted on a console such that it can be moved between an open position and a blocking position, wherein the blocking beam is realized in the form of a translucent tube, in which a strip fitted with light-emitting diodes is arranged. In the known barrier, it is furthermore proposed that the strip fitted with light-emitting diodes essentially extends over the entire length of the blocking beam.
The design disclosed in EP 2 105 534 A2 provides the advantage that the LEDs render the blocking beam clearly visible without running the risk of easily damaging the LEDs.
When using LEDs, it is disadvantageous that long blocking beams are associated with high manufacturing costs because a plurality of LEDs are required for illuminating the blocking beam over its entire length.
Furthermore, blocking beams known from the prior art which comprise strips fitted with light-emitting diodes cannot be realized with any length because the strips fitted with light-emitting diodes consist of prefabricated sections that respectively have a length between 10 and 30 cm. The present invention therefore is based on the objective of disclosing a barrier, the blocking beam of which can be illuminated over its entire length without requiring a plurality of LEDs. The illumination of the blocking beam of a barrier should, in particular, be achieved with only one lamp or with a limited number of lamps.
This objective is attained with the characteristics of Claim 1. Other embodiments and advantages of invention result from the dependent claims.
Accordingly, the proposed barrier comprises a blocking beam that is mounted on a console such that it can be moved between an open position and a blocking position, wherein the blocking beam is realized in the form of a tube section, on one end of which a lamp is arranged in a lens that allows a linear light scattering in the direction of the other end of the tube section essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, and on the other end of which a device for reflecting the light emitted by the lamp is arranged, and wherein the axial part of the tube section that extends between the lamp and the device for reflecting the light is realized in a translucent or transparent fashion.
The lamp is preferably realized in the form of an RGB- or white Power-LED. The lens may have reflective properties and be realized, for example, in the form of a parabolic mirror. Furthermore, a reflector may be used in addition to the lens in order to realize the linear light scattering in the direction of the other end of the tube section essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof.
According to an additional development of the invention, the electronics for operating the lamp or the Power-LED are also arranged on the end of the tube section, on which the lamp is arranged. According to the invention, the cooling element for dissipating the heat generated by the lamp is also arranged on this end.
In order to simplify the assembly, as well as maintenance procedures, each end of the tube section features an end cap, the removal of which makes it possible to easily access the lamp and, if applicable, the electronics for operating the lamp or the device for reflecting the light emitted by the lamp, respectively. In this case, the cooling element for dissipating the heat generated by the lamp may simultaneously serve as a spacer referred to an end cap.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the lamp, the lens and the electronics for operating the lamp are mounted on the end cap assigned to the end of the tube section, on which the lamp is arranged, by means of a cooling element for dissipating the heat generated by the lamp which simultaneously serves as a spacer.
Furthermore, the device for reflecting the light emitted by the lamp may alternatively or additionally be mounted on the end cap provided on the end of the tube section containing the reflecting device.
Within the scope of an additional development of the invention, the inventive barrier may feature a blocking beam that is realized in the form of an articulated beam and features two or more tube sections that are connected to one another in an articulated fashion. In this case, at least one of these tube sections is realized in accordance with the invention as already described above.
According to an additional development of the invention, the blocking beam features at least one additional lamp on the end, on which the lamp is arranged in a lens, wherein the additional lamp is respectively arranged in a lens that allows a linear light scattering in the direction of the other end of the tube section essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, wherein at least one device for reflecting the emitted light is arranged on the other end of the blocking beam, and wherein each lamp is respectively assigned a device for reflecting the light emitted by the lamp or all lamps are assigned one device for reflecting the light emitted by the lamps.
The lenses may have reflective properties and be realized, for example, in the form of a parabolic mirror. It is also possible to use reflectors in addition to the lenses in order to linearly scatter light in the direction of the other end of the tube section essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof.
The inventive concept makes available a barrier, the blocking beam of which can be homogeneously illuminated by means of one lamp or by means of a limited number of lamps. The inventive solution furthermore makes it possible to achieve a homogenous illumination of blocking beams with a significant length such as, for example, a length on the order of 5 m.
In contrast to blocking beams known from the prior art which feature LED-strips with sections of predefined length, the invention furthermore makes it possible to shorten the blocking beam of the barrier to any length.